Beauty and the Beast
by crimson-fishbonez
Summary: KeiraxJak oneshot, mixed with lyrics of "Beauty and the Beast" (Disney version). Hope you like! Please R&R!


_Disclaimer: If I owned the rights to the Jak series... well, I dunno. Their world would be a very twisted place (yes, even more twisted than it already is). So just be thankful that I don't own it. Huzzah!_

* * *

Beauty and the Beast  
  
_ Tale as old as time_  
  
We're in the Precursor Woods, the beautiful setting sun's light playing on our skin, shining on his blonde hair as we walk silently through the countless groves and trees. Jak cleared the forest of the scum that lived there, and now, it's our place. Our secret place.  
  
_ True as it can be_  
  
I feel happy and safe with his strong, gentle arm around my shoulders. I give a quiet smile to myself, as I think how lucky I am to have him be my side, my perfect hero.  
  
It...  
  
It wasn't always like this... Gosh, we were on REALLY bad terms once, yelling at each other all the time...  
  
_ Barely even friends_  
  
I have so many bad memories, memories of when we met up again, two years after the whole rift business. Heck, were they bad times...  
  
"I can't believe it of you, Jak! How could you do that, in front of, of everyone! I felt so ashamed! I feel-"  
  
"Oh shut up, Keira! Jeez, are you so wrapped up in your own stupid fucking world that you can't see how much I care for you?!"  
  
"Jak, you're not yourself! Please, just leave, now."  
  
"Fine, I will then! I survived TWO FUCKING YEARS in that fucking prison without you; I won't curl up and die now!!" he stormed, stamping out of my garage and slamming the door behind him, trying not to let me see his tears.  
  
I cried too. I really wanted to die when things like that happened...  
  
_Then somebody bends_  
  
But the next day, he would shuffle into my garage, head hung. I tried hard to keep my cool. I reminded myself of all the things he had done, had said, I convinced myself that I wasn't going to be beaten down...  
  
"Keira... I'm so s-sorry..." I can remember him crying so hard he could hardly talk, and all hateful thoughts would evaporate into thin air as I remembered that he couldn't help whatever he had done before. I would forgive him immediately, whatever it was.  
  
There would always be a long silence, in which he seemed to force himself to do something nasty.  
  
"Please... I kn-know I d-don't deserve you, but I..." he trailed off, hanging his head, letting his tears fall onto the hard cement. He looked so lost and alone, and I knew I could never... WOULD never...  
  
_ Unexpectedly._  
  
"Jak..." I love him for the simple way he... he is himself. He's so considerate, and yet, when he's not... not himself, he can be brash and thoughtless, but I know it's not his fault.  
  
"Of course you deserve me! You're the best man in the world! I'm wondering whether I deserve YOU!" And then he smiles. I love the way he smiles, like his sad face just isn't strong enough to block out his relief and happy gratitude.  
  
"Oh Keira." We hugged, pressing ourselves together. "You're too good to me..."  
  
I could never stay angry with Jak for too long before, and I can't now.  
  
And, after all, I still feel guilty when I remember our reunion...  
  
_Just a little change_  
  
"...and Jak! You look... different..." Oh, cringe cringe cringe. Why did my silly mouth have to go and say that, like it was BAD to change? He didn't look different himself.  
  
Oh, what am I saying? Of course he LOOKED different, but I could tell it was just an older Jak .We all change in that respect, don't we? I didn't think that he was different like THAT.  
  
Oh dear. I'm confusing you and myself and... oh...  
  
_Small to say the least_  
  
"It's been a tough ride."  
  
His voice didn't strike me as different. It was a little scary, hardened, but I guess I never really thought about how his voice would be if he could talk.  
  
The only things that seemed to have really changed were his eyes. They were hard and cold, like blue rocks, chillingly different from the innocent circles of clear summer sky I had known so well before. Now that scared me quite a lot. I had had daydreams, silly ones, in which Jak and I met up in the gardens or something, and he was exactly as he had been before, the same sapphires shining up at me as we screamed with delight at seeing each other and caught each other up in our arms...  
  
_Both a little scared_  
  
I guess I'm frightened of big changes like that. I mean, Jak's eyes showed he was so alien from the young, breathless, carefree boy of Sandover village, I was scared that he had forgotten me. Got another girl, or something. Jeez, I was being so dumb and stupid, but I guess that being for two years without the most important guy in your life does that to you.  
  
_Neither one prepared_  
  
We were surprised to see each other. And I was very... embarrassed as well. I mean, you feel dumb when the love of your teenage life comes in and does stupidly dangerous missions for you, while you're so disdainful of him because he has to work for a thug to get along in the world that you don't look at him from behind your moth-eaten curtains for over a month.  
  
_Beauty and the Beast.  
_  
I look at him now. He is smiling to himself, the evening sun catching his eyes. My nice, normal Jak, not the tainted alter ego that feeds off his pain and anger.  
  
_Ever just the same_  
  
We did these kind of things back in Sandover. Long walks by ourselves, ending up on the headland of Sentinel beach, overlooking the calm sea from the ruined towers.  
  
_Ever a surprise_  
  
They always seemed a new experience to me though. Each one seemed to be the best moment of my entire life, even better than my team winning the first gold trophy I had ever owned, or the first zoomer I ever built.  
  
_Ever as before_  
  
Jak seems to be whole again on these private walks when we're by ourselves. He always smiles when we are together and silent. I think he likes the occasional escape from the incessant one-liners Daxter constantly spews, no matter how refreshing they can be. He's just glad to escape into his dream Sandover...  
  
_Ever just as sure_  
  
This is the way I like it. Not with that stupid Erol, flirting like hell and looking like a COMPLETE idiot the whole time. No Ashelin, running her fingers up and down his body, while he's trying hard not to squirm from her touch.  
  
Just him and me.  
  
_As the sun will rise._  
  
Together.  
  
_Tale as old as time_  
  
I don't fear his dark side any more, but everyone is going on about it. I hate the way they sneer about him. I hate the looks he gets in the streets when I'm driving him to the Hip Hog. I remembered once, after one of the Baron's Alert things.  
  
All the pedestrians backed away oh-so-slowly. God, you could practically see their stupid little minds ticking as they thought to themselves. 'Oh my,' they thought, staring up at Jak, who pointedly keeps his head down as much as possible, red-faced, wishing he could sink into the seat, 'There's that Underground freak thing. So what if he's trying to save us from the dictator that controls us like puppets? He's a monster and he's sure to KILL us soon as look at us because... because he's DIFFERENT, and yahdi-yahdi- yah!' I hated them for that, passing judgement on him, before they even TRIED to see the hurt in his eyes.  
  
_ Tune as old as song  
_  
Daxter and I were so busy scowling at them we didn't realise what was wrong with Jak. It was only when he almost choked that I gathered something was worrying him. Jak was sitting with his head in his hands, shoulders shaking with each ragged breath. With a sudden shock, I realised he was crying.  
  
Dax hopped onto his shoulder. "Hey big guy! Whazzup?" he said, his voice happy and confident, though I could tell he was putting it on.  
  
"Guys... they...HATE me..." Jak said it so quietly, with such cold despair, that I was at a loss what to do. He looked so... isolated.  
  
Okay, I try not to swear, not to offend people. I try to be kind, and considerate, and see everyone's point of view. But then... I couldn't. Nothing would make me see Jak the way these stupid little... ZOMBIES did!  
  
_Bittersweet and strange_  
  
Standing up in the zoomer, I glowered out over all the people, whispering to each other behind his back, pointing at him and making rude comments and gestures at him. I didn't give myself time to think, in case I backed out of what I had in mind.  
  
"You... you BASTARDS!!" I screamed, not knowing what I was doing. Oh, stupid stupid STUPID Mouth, why did you have to do that? In PUBLIC?!  
  
"You STUPID, STUCK-UP, IGNORANT, UNGRATEFUL BASTARDS!!!"  
  
Everyone stared at me. Not at Jak in the zoomer, the so-called freak, the beast amongst them, but at the rude, sultry, bitchy mechanic, standing up on her seat, screaming blue murder.  
  
'Yes,' I thought 'look at me. Everyone look at me. You can't look at HIM if I'M the centre of attention...'  
  
_Finding you can change_  
  
The old Keira would've gasped, covered her mouth with her hands and maybe even CRIED if she had had all those hateful, scared faces, young and old, staring up at her with that intensity.  
  
But I couldn't care less. Those bitches wouldn't go on like that at Jak again in a hurry.  
  
Sitting down in the zoomer, I reached under my seat for a huge spanner. Toting it on my shoulder for all the world to see, I gave one more threatening scowl before I drove on.  
  
Daxter stared at me. "Woah, Keira... that was pre-tty hefty..."  
  
_ Learning you were wrong.  
_  
"Good," I said. "They deserved it."  
  
"Erm..." Daxter murmured, and I could tell he was a bit confused at that last remark.  
  
Jak was just staring at me, not with surprise, or shame, or LUST, as SO many young 'gentlemen' do when encountered with a girl with a bosom. He was staring at me with... thanks, I suppose. Gratitude. Respect. Love...  
  
It was in his eyes. They were becoming...softer every day.  
  
I put down the spanner, reached over and pulled him close in a kiss, trying to ignore Daxter's wolf-whistles and jokes. But it didn't matter.  
  
Nothing, not even the Baron, wading in with his maces and machine-guns, could ruin this perfect moment.  
  
_Certain as the sun_  
  
"Keira?"  
  
Hearing my name, I snap back to the present. We've reached the foot of the waterfall. I gaze up at its beautiful cascades, pouring down, with serene rainbows dancing through the veils of water.  
  
"D'you want to climb it?" Jak says, holding out his hand to me. Smiling, wide-eyed, I take it, giggling girlishly as he waggles his eyebrows at me.  
  
"Okay! How, though?"  
  
"Come on! Over here!" He runs off to the left of the falls, still holding onto my hand, not dragging me or pulling me, just guiding me, smiling and laughing as we run up the grassy slope near the side of the plummeting cascade.  
  
_Rising in the east_  
  
And so we run, exhilarated by the magic of the moment on this glory night, up the slope, jumping over stumps and ducking under falling trees, then dodging behind the waterfall itself, into a small cavern of shining dew, skidding across the wet rocky floor, almost falling once, only to be caught by his strong arms.  
  
Then, as if I'm a fairy-tale princess, he picks me up and runs through the cavern, laughing at my squeals of surprise and shock, and then, of mirth.  
  
_Tale as old as time_  
  
Finally, we come out from behind the cavern. We're up by the little pool above the gentle waterfall. I feel safe in his arms as we run along a bit more, following the river to it's source, until we reach another, bigger pool, the current of the water practically non-existent.  
  
"Come on, time to get off," says Jak, but I still keep my arms round his neck as I nuzzle into him, breathing in his lovely warm smell. Suddenly, little sharp pains start appearing all over my body, and I realise that the little bugger's tickling me! A impish grin cracks his face, as he tickles harder...  
  
_Song as old as rhyme_  
  
"Jak! Stop! C-come on, I'm not tic-cklish!" I lie, wanting him to stop, but wanting him to carry on at the same time.  
  
"Ow! Oooh! Jak! That's enough! Ow! Okay, I'll let go!" I giggled, breathless.  
  
He puts me down on the ground slowly, then starts to unbuckle his boots. Kicking them off, he rips off his shirt and his goggles and dives into the pool, splashing me as he jumps in, making me giggle with surprise.  
  
He surfaces, laughing.  
  
"Come on in, Keira! The water's wonderful!" I look doubtfully at the crystal-clear pool. It looks pretty cold...  
  
"Well okay... But I'm damned if I'm taking of MY top!" He laughs at that, then, giving me a quick glance up and down, shrugs and says, "Don't matter."  
  
In the end I jump in wearing just my bra and my shorts, gasping as the cold water soaks my clothes immediately.  
  
_ Beauty and the Beast._  
  
"Jak!! It's BLOODY freezing!" I say, splashing him as he tries not to laugh. "Why did you say it didn't matter if I didn't take off my top?" A playful, mischievous look crosses his face as his eyes wander slowly down to my chest.  
  
"You're wearing a white bra," he said, then backed away laughing as I jumped on him. "JAAAAAAK!!!"  
  
_ Tale as old as time_  
  
After about an hour of playing in the water, we come out, breathless and exhausted, and climb into our clothes. Slowly, we walk back down the slope, smiling at each other, sliding down the sheer slope, and finally ending up at the bottom of the waterfall, to where our zoomer is parked.  
  
_ Song as old as rhyme_  
  
Jak yawns like a lion as we walk towards it. I smile and rest my head against the chest of the one man who has made my life worth living, the one person I would give up everything for.  
  
"Jak, I..."  
  
He turned to face me, smiling sleepily. I get lost in his eyes. How can I help it? Why resist, when beyond those gentle melting pools keep me so entranced, I forget my pains and troubles and sink into perfect bliss?  
  
"You mean everything to me... I l-love..."  
  
I can't finish the sentence. I don't need to. He knows what I want to say. There is no need for words. He just closes his eyes and wraps his arms around my, drawing my close to his warm body. There we stand, lost together, lost forever, and we don't give a damn about anything else. There we stand, heartbeat to heartbeat.  
  
_ ...Beauty and the Beast_

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(Off to the cupboard with you now, Chip; It's past your bed-time! Good night, love!) -

So? How d'ya like? Please Read and Review, I need suggestions/criticisms/praise to help me write better! Ta buckets, and see you!


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